Vitality Blast Prediction & Betting Tips

Read our betting tips and tournament prediction for the much awaited Natwest T20 Blast competition involving 18 counties that will be competing for the coveted title between July 4 and September 15, 2018.

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Vitality Blast

With Vitality succeeding NatWest as the new tournament sponsor for the next four years, the T20 Blast will now be played under the moniker Vitality Blast. The tournament follows the same format from last year with 18 first-class county teams divided into two groups - North Group and South Group - of 9 teams each. A total of 133 fixtures are set to be played between July 4 and September 15, 2018 with the semi-finals and the final scheduled to be played on the same day at the same venue - Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. Nottinghamshire Outlaws are the current champions of the T20 Blast.

Tournament Format

During the group stage, each team will play six of the other eight teams in its own group twice, once at its own home ground and once at that of its opponent. The remaining two teams in the group will be played only once, thereby making it a total of 14 group games for each team in the tournament. At the end of the group stage, the top four teams from their respective groups will qualify for the knockout stage comprising four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and the final. The teams will be ranked in their respective divisions first by total points and then by net run-rate.

Read on for team previews, squads, betting odds, betting tips and predictions for Vitality Blast 2018...

North Group Teams

Birmingham Bears Betting Tips & Odds

Birmingham Bears (Warwickshire) are winners of the inaugural season of the NatWest T20 Blast in 2014. They beat Lancashire Lightning by four runs in the final at the Edgbaston. Last year, they won eight and lost five matches to finish third in their group before going on to make the finals day. However, they could not overcome Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the final as they fell short by 22 runs. Sam Hain was their leading run-scorer with 458 runs and Jeetan Patel was amongst the season's top five bowlers with 20 wickets.

Birmingham Bears Team News

New Zealand all-rounder Grant Elliott will continue to lead Birmingham Bears in this year's T20 Blast. Batsman Sam Hain has extended his contract with the team for three years while Kiwi explosive all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme will return for his second season with the Bears. The county has also signed a two-year extension contract with young English batsman Ed Pollock who made a vital contribution to their success in the previous season.

Birmingham Bears Betting Odds

Betfair, Bet365 and Betway are all offering odds of 11 on Birmingham Bears to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

Derbyshire Falcons Betting Tips & Odds

Derbyshire Falcons are one of the seven teams that are yet to win an English twenty20 cricket tournament. They had their most successful T20 campaign last year, finishing second in their group standings with eight wins from fourteen matches. They made it past the group stage but could not reach the semi-finals as they faced a massive 101-run loss to Hampshire in the first quarter-final. Wayne Madsen was one of the leading run-getters last season while South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir took the most wickets (17) for the Falcons.

Derbyshire Falcons Team News

Derbyshire Falcons have roped in Pakistan paceman Wahab Riaz for this year's T20 Blast. The left-arm bowler will be available to play for the county for the first ten matches only before setting off for the Caribbean Premier League. The team has also included Scotland fast bowler Safyaan Sharif in the mix along with his team-mate Calum MacLeod who came into the limelight after his majestic knock of 140 in the recent ODI against England. New Zealand pace bowler Lockie Ferguson has also been added to the squad and he along with MacLeod are expected to be available for the entire Vitality Blast 2018.

Derbyshire Falcons Betting Odds

Derbyshire will look to set things right in this year's NatWest T20 Blast after failing to make the knockouts round in the previous three seasons. With high-profile signings (especially that of Imran Tahir) and John Wright appointed as the new coach, the Falcons will fancy their chances of going a long way in the tournament. But at the moment, Bet365 has them way up at 41.

Durham Jets Betting Tips & Odds

The 2016 season was the most memorable for the Durham Jets when they made it to the finals of the tournament. They, however, could not win the title and finished runners-up as they lost to Northamptonshire Steelbacks in the final. The Jets had a disastrous season last year, finishing at the bottom of their group standings with just three wins from fourteen matches. Paul Collingwood scored the most runs for them (346 runs at a strike rate of 140) while Paul Coughlin was the standout bowler with 13 wickets.

Durham Jets Team News

Durham Jets have released pace bowler Paul Coughlin from their squad for this year's T20 Blast while former England international Paul Collingwood has extended his contract with the county for one year. Ben Stokes was made available for the match against Worcestershire at the Chester-le-Street but he will return to international duty once England's test series against India begins.

Durham Jets Betting Odds

Betfair, Bet365 and Betway are all offering a price of 26 on the Durham Jets to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

Lancashire Lightning Betting Tips & Odds

Lancashire Lightning won the tournament in the 2015 season, beating Northamptonshire Steelbacks in the final at Edgbaston. They have finished runners-up twice - they lost the 2005 final to Somerset and the 2014 final to Birmingham Bears. In the previous season, Lancashire failed to make it past the group stage as they ended up seventh in their group with five wins and six losses. Jos Buttler was the team's most impressive batsman with 451 runs including five half-centuries and leg-spinner Matt Parkinson was their highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets.

Lancashire Lightning Team News

Lancashire Lightning have signed a two-year deal with Australian all-rounder James Faulkner who played a significant role in the county's title triumph in 2015. The team has also drafted fast bowler Joe Mennie into their squad as an overseas player. Mennie has played one test and two one-day internationals for Australia. Jos Buttler was made available to Lancashire for their game against Yorkshire at the Old Trafford but his availability for the rest of the season has not been confirmed yet.

Lancashire Lightning Betting Odds

While Bet365 and Betway are both offering odds of 15, Betfair has Lancashire Lightning slightly higher at 17 to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

Leicestershire Foxes Betting Tips & Odds

Having lifted the trophy back in 2004, 2006 and 2011, Leicestershire Foxes have been the most successful of all the teams in the English domestic twenty20 cricket tournaments. They managed to qualify for the knockout round last season after finishing fourth in their group standings with 8 wins from 14 matches. The foxes after winning their last four group-stage fixtures were knocked out of the tournament with a nine-wicket loss to Glamorgan in the quarter-finals. New Zealand batsman Luke Ronchi topped the runs charts for the team with 429 runs while Australian paceman Clint McKay took 23 wickets to finish as the season's leading wicket-taker.

Leicestershire Foxes Team News

Leicestershire Foxes have released Australian fast bowler Clint McKay from their squad and have picked Mohammad Nabi for the Vitality Blast 2018. The Afghanistan all-rounder is now the team's second overseas player with Pakistani international Muhammad Abbas already in the squad.

Leicestershire Foxes Betting Odds

Leicestershire Foxes are the bookmakers' underdogs for the Vitality Blast 2018 and have been priced at 34 each on Betfair, Bet365 and Betway.

Northamptonshire Steelbacks Betting Tips & Odds

Northamptonshire Steelbacks won the tournament in the 2013 and 2016 seasons. The two-time champions came runners-up in 2015 when they lost to Lancashire Lightning by 13 runs in the final. In the previous season, the Steelbacks finished sixth in their group with six wins and five defeats. Their leading run-getter and leading wicket-taker were both from South Africa - Richard Levi who scored 375 runs and Rory Kleinveldt who took 14 wickets in 12 matches.

Northamptonshire Steelbacks Team News

Northamptonshire Steelbacks have re-signed Seekkuge Prasanna for the Vitality Blast 2018. The Sri Lankan all-rounder has played 20 T20Is, 38 ODIs and a test match for his country as well as 10 matches for the Steelbacks in the 2016 season when they went on to claim the title. The team has retained Rory Kleinveldt who was their most successful bowler last year. They have also signed Scottish batsman Kyle Coetzer but he will not be available for the entire season. Northamptonshire are already without some of their key players like Adam Rossington, Rob Newton and Rob Keogh all of whom are unavailable due to injuries.

Northamptonshire Steelbacks Betting Odds

Northamptonshire Steelbacks are 17.5 on Betfair, 21 on Bet365 and 19 on Betway to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

Nottinghamshire Outlaws Betting Tips & Odds

Nottinghamshire Outlaws defeated Birmingham Bears in the final of the previous season to clinch their maiden T20 Blast title. The defending champions finished toppers of their group at the end of the group stage with eight wins and four defeats before storming into the final. Riki Wessels and Alex Hales were the standout performers for them with the bat while pace bowlers Jake Ball and Harry Gurney were among the season's leading wicket-takers. Nottinghamshire also have plenty of happy memories from the 2006 season when they came runners-up.

Nottinghamshire Outlaws Team News

Nottinghamshire Outlaws have retained New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and Australian allrounder Dan Christian as their overseas signings from the previous season. The former, who is currently ranked as the no. 1 bowler in the ICC T20 rankings, had helped the county to their first title triumph last year and he will be available for all of the team's fixtures this year. Chris Nash and Paul Coughlin are two other players who have been roped in by the Outlaws.

Nottinghamshire Outlaws Squad

Nottinghamshire Outlaws Betting Odds

Nottinghamshire Outlaws are favorites amongst the bookmakers to win the Vitality Blast 2018 at odds of 7.60 on Betfair, 7.50 on Bet365 and 7 on Betway.

Worcestershire Rapids Betting Tips & Odds

Worcestershire Rapids have never been able to reach the final of the twenty20 tournament. They have had back-to-back disappointing seasons, finishing second from bottom in their group in 2016 and 2017. Last year, they could only muster three wins and ended up losing each of their last five group-stage encounters. Joe Clarke scored the most runs for them (381 runs at a strike rate of 183) while New Zealand left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner was their best bowler with 13 wickets in as many matches.

Worcestershire Rapids Team News

Worcestershire Rapids have signed Australian and New Zealand batsmen Callum Ferguson and Martin Guptill as overseas players for the Vitality Blast 2018. Guptill, who is currently ranked fifth in the ICC T20I rankings, will be available from June 20 to July 29. Ferguson will be his replacement and will take over once the Kiwi departs. The county has already added Travis Head as their main overseas signing for this year's T20 Blast. Moeen Ali has returned to lead the team but his further availability with the county is subject to selection in the England test squad.

Worcestershire Rapids Squad

Worcestershire Rapids Betting Odds

Worcestershire Rapids have been set at odds of 30 on Betfair, 26 on Bet365 and 23 on Betway to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

Yorkshire Vikings Betting Tips & Odds

2012 was the most successful season for the Yorkshire Vikings when they ended up being runners-up. They could not break into the top four in the previous season though, finishing fifth in their group with six wins and five losses. In a repeat of the 2016 season, Adam Lyth and Tim Bresnan once again finished as the leading run-getter and the leading wicket-taker respectively for the Vikings last year. While Lyth scored 535 runs which included one century and four fifties, Bresnan notched up 17 wickets from 12 matches.

Yorkshire Vikings Team News

Yorkshire Vikings have received a major blow ahead of the Vitality Blast 2018 as Australian pace bowler Billy Stanlake will not be joining the club this season. Stanlake had earlier agreed to play at least 12 matches for the team but was later pulled out of the squad by Cricket Australia to focus on the game's longer formats. Kane Williamson has reduced his stint with the Vikings. The New Zealand captain has returned to the county and will be playing nine Blast games instead of the eleven he had earlier committed to play. Joe Root was made available for the clash against Roses rivals Lancashire but he is set to return to international duty in August. Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett and David Willey are now free from international assignments and are thus available for the rest of the tournament.

Yorkshire Vikings Betting Odds

Yorkshire Vikings are priced at 9.60 on Betfair, 10 on Bet365 and 9 on Betway to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

South Group Teams

Essex Eagles Betting Tips & Odds

Essex Eagles, despite being one of the consistent teams in the competition, have neither lifted the trophy nor finished runners-up in any of the previous seasons. Last year, they won five and lost seven matches to finish eighth in the South Group. Varun Chopra hit the most runs for the Eagles (427 runs at a strike rate of almost 160) while left-arm seamer Paul Walter took the most wickets for them (15 wickets from 13 matches).

Essex Eagles Team News

Essex Eagles have secured the services of Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa for the entire T20 Blast season. Zampa, who has played for T20 franchises around the world, will join the team on July 1 and will also be available for the finals day, should the Eagles advance. He is now the second player from Australia to sign up with the county after paceman Peter Siddle who has been confirmed to make a return in August. Siddle will be available to play eight matches and the quarter-finals should the club make it that far.

Essex Eagles Squad

Essex Eagles Betting Odds

Betfair is offering a price of 14 on Essex Eagles to win the Vitality Blast 2018, while Bet365 and Betway both have the team fixed at 13.

Glamorgan Betting Tips & Odds

Glamorgan made it to the quarter-finals of the tournament in the 2014 and 2016 seasons but had failed to progress further on both the occasions. However, they had their most successful campaign last season when they made their maiden appearance in the semi-finals after having topped their group standings with seven wins and three defeats. They went into the semis on the back of three consecutive victories but their journey was halted by the Birmingham Bears who inflicted an eleven-run defeat on them. South Africa's Colin Ingram was Glamorgan's best batsman with 462 runs at a healthy strike rate of 166 while Australian fast bowler Michael Hogan was one of the leading wicket-takers of the season with 20 wickets.

Glamorgan Team News

Glamorgan have signed Australian batsman Usman Khawaja for this year's Vitality Blast but he will be available for the group stage only. Shaun Marsh who was earlier picked up by the club on a two-year deal has been ruled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury and he has been replaced in the squad by batsman Joe Burns. South African batsman Jaques Rudolph, who was one of Glamorgan's most consistent batsmen last year, has taken retirement and has therefore been released from the squad.

Glamorgan Betting Odds

The odds for Glamorgan to win the Vitality Blast 2018 are currently set at 18 on Betfair and 19 each on Bet365 and Betway.

Gloucestershire Betting Tips & Odds

Gloucestershire had topped the South Group standings in the 2016 season to reach the quarter-finals. However, the 2007 runners-up finished at the bottom of their group last year with just four wins from fourteen matches and they lost their last four group-stage fixtures on the trot. Australia's Michael Klinger scored the most runs for Gloucestershire last time (281 runs in 13 matches) while England's left-arm paceman David Payne took 17 wickets which was the most by any bowler in the side.

Gloucestershire Team News

Andrew Tye has re-signed for Gloucestershire for this year's T20 Blast as an overseas player. The Australian fast bowler had represented the county in the 2016 season where he claimed 18 wickets in 14 games but could not play the following season due to a shoulder injury. Gloucestershire have also added Ryan Higgins in their squad.

Gloucestershire Betting Odds

Betfair, Bet365 and Betway are all offering a price of 21 on Gloucestershire to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

Hampshire Betting Tips & Odds

Hampshire won the tournament back in 2010 and 2012. The two-time champions now have three semi-final appearances in the last four seasons. After a disappointing 2016 season where they finished second from bottom in their group, Hampshire turned things around last year and finished third in the standings with seven wins and six defeats. They defeated Derbyshire by 101 runs in the quarter-final but lost to Nottinghamshire by 23 runs in the semi-final. James Vince was amongst the season's leading run-getters with 542 runs in 15 matches and leg-spinner Mason Crane was their best bowler with 18 wickets in 13 matches.

Hampshire Team News

Hampshire have signed Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman and New Zealand batsman Colin Munro for the Vitality Blast 2018. While Mujeeb has been confirmed to be available to the county for the entire tournament, Munro will not feature in the latter stages of the tournament due to his Caribbean Premier League commitments. Hampshire have also included left-arm seamer Reece Topley in the side while releasing batsman Michael Carberry to Leicestershire.

Hampshire Squad

Hampshire Betting Odds

Betfair and Bet365 both have Hampshire locked at odds of 9 to win the Vitality Blast 2018 while Betway has them at 8.50.

Kent Spitfires Betting Tips & Odds

Kent Spitfires won the tournament back in 2007 when they beat Gloucestershire in the final. They came runners-up the following year after facing defeat at the hands of Middlesex in the final. Last year, they finished sixth in the South Group standings with six wins and seven losses. Joe Denly was the leading run-getter of the season with 567 runs including two centuries and a fifty while New Zealand's Adam Milne took the most wickets for them - 15 in 7 matches.

Kent Spitfires Team News

Kent Spitfires have released Sam Northeast and have named Sam Billings as captain of their side for this year's Vitality Blast. The county has also signed a deal with West Indian all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite who will be available for the first four games only. Apart from him, Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne have also been drafted into the squad as overseas players.

Kent Spitfires Squad

Kent Spitfires Betting Odds

Kent Spitfires are 17.50 on Betfair and 17 each on Bet365 and Betway to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

Middlesex Betting Tips & Odds

2008 was the most successful season for Middlesex when they defeated Kent Spitfires in the final to claim their maiden title. After an impressive run in 2017 where they reached the quarter-finals, the former champions had a forgetful last season finishing seventh in their group standings with five wins and seven defeats from fourteen matches. Eoin Morgan was their best batsman with 319 runs while Tom Helm and Steven Finn were among the leading wicket-takers with 19 and 16 wickets respectively.

Middlesex Team News

Middlesex have roped in West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo as an overseas player for the 2018 T20 Blast. The club had earlier signed Australian spinner Ashton Agar to boost their spin department. While Bravo will be available for the first six games only, Agar has been confirmed to be available for the entire duration of the tournament.

Middlesex Squad

Middlesex Betting Odds

Middlesex are being offered at a same price of 15 on Betfair, Bet365 and Betway to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

Somerset Betting Tips & Odds

Somerset are the former champions having won the tournament back in 2005. They are also the three-time runners-up having reached the finals in three consecutive seasons from 2009-2011. After a disappointing 2016 season, Somerset came back strongly last year to advance through to the knockouts after finishing fourth in the standings with six wins and as many defeats. They were however knocked out by Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the quarter-finals. James Hildreth, Adam Hose and Johann Myburgh all did well with the bat for the team with each having a strike-rate of over 145. Leg-spinner Max Waller was the pick of the bowlers with 16 wickets.

Somerset Team News

Somerset have appointed allrounder Lewis Gregory as their new captain for the Vitality Blast 2018. The county have added Corey Anderson in the squad as their overseas player. The New Zealand explosive batsman has so far represented his country in 29 T20 internationals, 44 one-day internationals and 13 test matches. Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft is another player who has been signed by Somerset as an overseas acquisition and he is expected to be available for most of the season. Meanwhile, the team has also picked up West Indian speedster Jerome Taylor for the entire season.

Somerset Betting Odds

Betfair is offering a price of 12 on Somerset while Bet365 and Betway both have them at 15 to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

Surrey Betting Tips & Odds

Surrey are the winners of the inaugural edition of the English Twenty20 Cup in 2003 and are also runners-up of the 2004 and 2013 seasons. After failing to qualify for the knockouts in 2016, the county put up an impressive show last year finishing second in their group with seven wins and five losses. However, their campaign came to an end when they met Birmingham Bears in the quarter-finals who eliminated them with a six-wicket victory. Aaron Finch scored the most runs for them - 489 runs which included a hundred and a couple of fifties. Jade Dernbach was the most impressive among the bowlers with 16 wickets in 13 matches.

Surrey Team News

Australian batsman Nic Maddinson is the latest overseas signing for Surrey and he will join the team after the conclusion of Australia's twenty20 tri-series in Zimbabwe next month. Maddinson had top-scored for Sydney Sixers in the previous Big Bash League scoring 291 runs in 10 games. Surrey had earlier signed Australian international Aaron Finch who is due to join them on July 12.

Surrey Squad

Surrey Betting Odds

Surrey have been set at a 7.50 offer on Betway and 8 each on Bet365 and Betway to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

Sussex Sharks Betting Tips & Odds

Sussex Sharks have failed to make it past the group stage in the previous two seasons. The champions of 2009 had made their last quarter-final appearance in 2015 and since then have not a found a place in the top four. They finished fifth in their group last time having won five and lost as many matches. Chris Nash topped the team's runs charts with 520 runs at a strike rate of 142 while paceman Chris Jordan was their leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets.

Sussex Sharks Team News

South African all-rounder Stiaan van Zyl is set to miss the majority of the action this year due to a knee injury. The team has called up New Zealand batsman Tom Bruce as replacement for van Zyl. Bruce who has scored 958 runs in the 14 T20 international appearances for his country will be available for the entire T20 Blast season. Sussex Sharks have also bolstered their spin department with the inclusion of Afghanistan spin sensation Rashid Khan but he is going to be available for just the first half of the competition.

Sussex Sharks Squad

Sussex Sharks Betting Odds

Sussex Sharks are being offered at odds of 10 on Betway and 8 each on Betfair and Bet365 to win the Vitality Blast 2018.

Who Will Win Vitality Blast 2018?

Leicestershire Foxes are the most successful team in the tournament having won the title three times but their chances of going all the way this year look slim. Yorkshire have rarely offered much of a challenge in the past editions of the tournament but they could turn things around this time. Somerset and Hampshire will look to improve upon their previous season's performances while Birmingham Bears are one of the strongest contenders for this year's Blast. Nottinghamshire Outlaws will begin this season as defending champions and with the likes of Paul Coughlin, Samit Patel, Jake Ball and Riki Wessels in their ranks, they seem to have come up with a decent looking squad. We expect Nottinghamshire to defend their title and end up winning the tournament this year as well.

Final Verdict: Back Nottinghamshire Outlaws to win the Vitality Blast 2018 at 7 with Betway, 7.50 with Bet365 and 7.60 with Betfair.

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